Train of Thoughthttp://cs.trains.com/trn/b/staff/atom.aspxTelligent Community 6.1.3.27318 (Build: 6.1.3.27318)2018-01-14T19:59:45ZA progress report on Union Pacific Big Boy 4014http://cs.trains.com/trn/b/staff/archive/2018/03/16/a-progress-report-on-union-pacific-big-boy-4014.aspx2018-03-16T22:20:39Z2018-03-16T22:20:39Z<p><a href="http://cs.trains.com/cfs-file.ashx/__key/communityserver-blogs-components-weblogfiles/00-00-00-07-48/6470.DSC_5F00_9288.JPG"><img src="http://cs.trains.com/resized-image.ashx/__size/600x0/__key/communityserver-blogs-components-weblogfiles/00-00-00-07-48/6470.DSC_5F00_9288.JPG" border="0" alt="" /></a>Deep inside the cavernous backshop at Cheyenne, Wyo., a giant is coming back to life. I saw it with my own eyes on a visit earlier this week. Here's what I saw.</p>
<p>Union Pacific Big Boy No. 4014 is about as disassembled as you can get and still be counted as a locomotive. The wheels are out from underneath it &ndash; all 24 of them &ndash; and 100-ton freight car trucks support the frame. It currently holds the title of the world&rsquo;s largest 0-0-0-0. The boiler is as empty as it has been since Alco built the 4-8-8-4 in 1941. The cab is in another part of the shop and resting near 4-8-4 No. 844. The tender, as yet un-rebuilt, is sitting in the yard. But there are signs of progress everywhere at the Alamo of Steam. They are the kind of signs that give confidence to the crew that is laboring so hard to see this done, the railroad that wants to see this behemoth completed as a goodwill ambassador, and the fans who have long dreamed of a Big Boy back in steam.</p>
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<p>The news out of Cheyenne in mid-March 2018 is this: The crew is working hard on multiple tasks to get the job done. They&rsquo;re sequestered in a &ldquo;clean room&rdquo; machine shop, where computerized machine tools of today are bringing back the past. They&rsquo;re huddled around the gigantic trailing truck frame (estimated weight, 17,000 pounds and the size of a small car) that&rsquo;s been removed. They&rsquo;re perched in a lift on the side of the boiler. Respectively, they&rsquo;re making bolts, inspecting the casting, and welding. They&rsquo;re also deep inside the firebox, where the task of renewing metal is ongoing. It is relentless, exhausting, and exhilarating work all at one time. But you can sense that this is a crew that is proud of getting the 4-8-4 back on the road in 2016 and that is on the verge of something big, something that was always believed to be too big to ever happen, too far out of reach, or just a silly dream. But dream no more. Throughout the shop, confidence is high that we&rsquo;ll see No. 4014 done in time to celebrate the 150<sup>th</sup> anniversary of the Transcontinental Railroad in May 2019. That will be 60 years since a Big Boy last pulled revenue freight in regular service. It will be a cause of celebration among those who love steam the likes of which we&rsquo;ve never seen before.</p>
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<p>Ed Dickens, the railroad&rsquo;s manager for the restoration and the steam program in general, says the job is about 50 percent done. The focus is on the 300 psi boiler that is the heart of this 7,000 horsepower giant of the rails. He estimates that 85 to 90 percent of the parts needed to restore the locomotive are on hand. Boxes of new staybolts of varying lengths await installation. The steam exhaust water pump sits ready on a workbench. A Nathan lubricator shines in fresh gloss black having been overhauled. The much celebrated burner for oil firing is in the building. The crossheads are nearly done with machining. The brake stand has been rebuilt. The list is a long and tedious one, but such is the way of steam locomotive restoration for the mainline on a stage that only Union Pacific could provide. Only one highly visible part of the old No. 4014 &ndash; the ashpans from the locomotive&rsquo;s coal burning days &ndash; will go away with the conversion to oil firing. &nbsp;The time for taking parts off Big Boy has passed, and the time for putting new or refurbished parts back on has arrived.</p>
<p>That is extremely evident one track over from the Big Boy, where the front engine awaits wheels and a boiler: The front pilot has been renewed. Rebuilt cross-compound air pumps are installed on the platform. Lubrication lines, soon to be covered up by the boiler, snake across the top of the frame in all directions.</p>
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<p>Soon, the drivers with new tires and crank pins will return from rebuilding at the Strasburg Rail Road. Workers will load the tubes and flues into the boiler. Reassembly will begin with thousands of parts ready to breathe new life into this old friend. The railroad will run No. 844 only once this year on the Cheyenne Frontier Days train in July so the crew can stay focused on the Big Boy. That is a small price to pay for a Big Boy back in steam.</p>
<p>The next chapter in the story of the much celebrated Big Boy locomotives is being written. The giant is coming back to life.</p>
<p><i>Read more about the restoration of No. 4014 in the June 2018 issue of Trains magazine. </i></p>
<p>&nbsp; &nbsp;</p><div style="clear:both;"></div><img src="http://cs.trains.com/aggbug.aspx?PostID=2290585&AppID=748&AppType=Weblog&ContentType=0" width="1" height="1">Jim Wrinnhttp://cs.trains.com/members/Jim-Wrinn/default.aspxRailroad photography: Shooting for publicationhttp://cs.trains.com/trn/b/staff/archive/2018/03/09/railroad-photography-shooting-for-publication.aspx2018-03-09T18:45:00Z2018-03-09T18:45:00Z<p>[caption image="/cfs-file.ashx/__key/communityserver-blogs-components-weblogfiles/00-00-00-07-48/1222.TRN_5F00_75_5F00_FunFacts_5F00_05.jpg" position="right" targeturl="http://trn.trains.com/landing/trains75/fun-facts"]Trains Magazine has about 100 editorial photos in each issue. One of them could be yours![/caption]Spring is right around the corner, and for most of us that means more time trackside with a camera. For better or worse, when you send an email to <a href="mailto:photoeditor@trainsmag.com">photoeditor@trainsmag.com</a>, I'll be the first one that sees it. I get a lot of questions about specific images, which we often have no immediate use for. People, it seems, want to see the photos they've already taken in print, but don't want to give any thought to shooting for publication when trackside. That's a shame because a typical issue of <em>Trains</em> contains about 100 editorial photos. So, for everyone who never thought to plainly ask "How do I get a photo published in <em>Trains</em> Magazine," here's a quick guide:</p>
<p><strong>1. Tell a story</strong> &ndash; The best photos often don't need a caption. The gleaming paint tells us it's a new locomotive. The landmark tells us it's a detour move. Use signs, landmarks, people, and other props to put railroading in context.</p>
<p><strong>2. Be unique &ndash;</strong> A train photographed at a 3/4 angle at a grade crossing usually doesn't tell that desired story. Keep your eye out for unique compositions that lend themselves to print, too, especially vertical photos. To date, we have yet to publish a horizontal cover, so we always need lots of vertical compositions to review each month.</p>
<p>[caption image="/cfs-file.ashx/__key/communityserver-blogs-components-weblogfiles/00-00-00-07-48/4454.TRN_5F00_75_5F00_FunFacts_5F00_14.jpg" position="left" targeturl="http://trn.trains.com/landing/trains75/fun-facts"]With about 50 contributors to each issue, there's plenty of room for new talent to come onboard![/caption]<strong>3. Send only your best &ndash;</strong> Self-editing is an important skill in both writing and photography. We archive much of what's submitted for future use. If your name is attached to the better images in our collection we may also ask you for specific subjects in your area.</p>
<p><strong>4. Leave the editing to us &ndash;</strong> It may come as a surprise to some, but <em>Trains</em> has a talented design staff that can process your images to match our printing specs. When you send a highly edited JPG image, or a photo with a watermark, we probably can't use it as-is, so it will be rejected for archiving. And if it's a photo that was requested, we'll have to come back to request a clean one for publication. Not good for anyone.</p>
<p><strong>5. Include caption info &ndash;</strong> Yes, the best photos don't <em>need</em> a caption, but it's our policy to publish a caption with each image. So when you do upload those images at <a href="http://fileupload.kalmbach.com/contribute/">http://fileupload.kalmbach.com/contribute/</a>, be sure to include full caption information in the comments field. It will help us understand what's going on and how we might best use them in the future.</p>
<p>To learn more about where to spend your time trackside, pick up our new <a href="https://kalmbachhobbystore.com/product/special-issue/vt-tr05180101-c">Hot Spots special issue</a>, available now for the 2018 railfan season.</p><div style="clear:both;"></div><img src="http://cs.trains.com/aggbug.aspx?PostID=2290575&AppID=748&AppType=Weblog&ContentType=0" width="1" height="1">Brian Schmidthttp://cs.trains.com/members/Brian-Schmidt/default.aspxA look at steam in 2018: What to anticipate, what to appreciate, where to go http://cs.trains.com/trn/b/staff/archive/2018/02/28/a-look-at-the-year-in-steam-2018-what-to-anticipate-what-to-appreciate-where-the-hot-spots-are.aspx2018-03-01T02:27:00Z2018-03-01T02:27:00Z<p>As I mentioned in an earlier blog post, this is the time of year when I anticipate mainline steam schedules, plan trips to see newly restored and notable locomotives, and find time to make calls and send emails to my steam friends to see who is planning to go where and where we might cross paths, or tracks in our case. We&rsquo;ll see who is willing to break the bank and stretch vacation time to make one more trip. It&rsquo;s an optimistic time, when we all look forward to what will excite and inspire us all with stack talk, whistles, and flailing rods.</p>
<p>Right now, there&rsquo;s not much that&rsquo;s set. Union Pacific has said it plans to run 4-8-4 No. 844 on only one occasion in 2018. That will be on the Cheyenne Frontier Days trip between Denver and Cheyenne, Wyo., on July 21, plus the deadhead trip the week before and the deadhead trip back home to Cheyenne on July 22. Otherwise, the UP steam team will stick to the shop and keep working on Big Boy No. 4014 with the aim of completing and steaming the 4-8-8-4 in 2019 to celebrate the 150<sup>th</sup> anniversary of the Golden Spike. More on how the Big Boy is a potential game changer in a moment.</p>
<p><a href="http://cs.trains.com/cfs-file.ashx/__key/communityserver-blogs-components-weblogfiles/00-00-00-07-48/3531.NKP-765-Wrinn.JPG"><img src="http://cs.trains.com/resized-image.ashx/__size/600x0/__key/communityserver-blogs-components-weblogfiles/00-00-00-07-48/3531.NKP-765-Wrinn.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a></p>
<p>The other mainline locomotives &ndash; Milwaukee Road No. 261, Norfolk &amp; Western No. 611, Nickel Plate Road No. 765, and Southern Pacific No. 4449 -- are no doubt developing excursion plans and negotiating with Amtrak and host railroads. They're doing their time in the shop: No. 765 is finishing a 1,472-day inspection, and No. 611 is getting staybolt work at Spencer, N.C. Given that most operators like to have a few months to market and sell their trips, I&rsquo;d say it is a safe bet that the spring of 2018 will be quiet: By this time last year, we&rsquo;d already heard from 611 and 4449 about spring excursion plans, and it wasn&rsquo;t long after that 261 and 765 announced their Midwestern trips that took place in June. I would say that if everything works out, this spring silence bodes well for a fall excursion season as vibrant as autumn colors. My recommendation: Stick around to see how it all plays out. Save those scarce vacation days for later in the year.</p>
<p><a href="http://cs.trains.com/cfs-file.ashx/__key/communityserver-blogs-components-weblogfiles/00-00-00-07-48/8802.Milwaukee-Road-261.JPG"><img src="http://cs.trains.com/resized-image.ashx/__size/600x0/__key/communityserver-blogs-components-weblogfiles/00-00-00-07-48/8802.Milwaukee-Road-261.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a></p>
<p>I would think that every engine capable of a mainline trip will try for at least one excursion this year for two reasons: 1. Just in case Congress doesn&rsquo;t extend the Dec. 31 deadline for Positive Train Control implementation, expensive and time-consuming modifications will be necessary after this year to stay operational. And 2. When UP unleashes No. 4014, whether it is a short 2019 tour or a long one, the most anticipated locomotive restoration of our time will be the focus of every steam locomotive aficionado in 2019; trying to compete against Big Boy for an audience will be almost impossible. &nbsp;&nbsp;</p>
<p>So, once again, my advice, as always, is to get out there and enjoy these big locomotives on the main line. Don&rsquo;t put off an excursion. You never know what the future will hold for big steam on the main line.</p>
<p><a href="http://cs.trains.com/cfs-file.ashx/__key/communityserver-blogs-components-weblogfiles/00-00-00-07-48/6087.Grand_2D00_Canyon4960.jpg"><img src="http://cs.trains.com/resized-image.ashx/__size/600x0/__key/communityserver-blogs-components-weblogfiles/00-00-00-07-48/6087.Grand_2D00_Canyon4960.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a></p>
<p>Elsewhere, I suggest you pay attention to two areas of the country: the Southwest and the Pacific Northwest. Arizona&rsquo;s Grand Canyon Railway has said it will run 2-8-2 No. 4960 and 2-8-0 No. 29 this year. The plan is to run one or both of the locomotives on the first Saturday of every month starting in March plus three additional days, including April 21, Earth Day; and Sept. 15, the railroad&rsquo;s anniversary.</p>
<p><a href="http://cs.trains.com/cfs-file.ashx/__key/communityserver-blogs-components-weblogfiles/00-00-00-07-48/0675.Oregon-Coast-Scenic-Garibaldi-ORE.jpg"><img src="http://cs.trains.com/resized-image.ashx/__size/600x0/__key/communityserver-blogs-components-weblogfiles/00-00-00-07-48/0675.Oregon-Coast-Scenic-Garibaldi-ORE.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a></p>
<p>&nbsp;Meanwhile, Scott Wickert&rsquo;s humble tourist railroad on the Pacific shore, the Oregon Coast Scenic Railroad, could well become the new hub for steam in the region with Skip Lichter&rsquo;s Polson 2-8-2 No. 2 joining McCloud 2-6-2 No. 25 this year plus a two-truck Heisler. If the crew at Oregon Coast completes legendary 2-4-4-2 Skookum this year, and the boiler tubes have been loaded, that will cement Garibaldi, Ore., as one of the top bucket list destinations for the steam-starved steam devotee.</p>
<p>Get out there and enjoy our American steam this year. To learn more, be sure to subscribe to Trains and read Newswire at <a href="http://www.trainsmag.com/">www.TrainsMag.com</a> for exclusive stories about the most recent restoration and excursion news. And join us for our photo charter commemorating the last steam freights on Cumbres Pass in 1968 at Cumbres &amp; Toltec Scenic Aug. 25-26.&nbsp; Details:&nbsp; <a href="http://trn.trains.com/magazine/trips/2018/01/cumbres-pass-photo-charter">http://trn.trains.com/magazine/trips/2018/01/cumbres-pass-photo-charter</a></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p><div style="clear:both;"></div><img src="http://cs.trains.com/aggbug.aspx?PostID=2290568&AppID=748&AppType=Weblog&ContentType=0" width="1" height="1">Jim Wrinnhttp://cs.trains.com/members/Jim-Wrinn/default.aspxAll bragging aside, you need to see the new Raleigh, N.C., passenger train stationhttp://cs.trains.com/trn/b/staff/archive/2018/02/28/all-bragging-aside-you-need-to-see-the-new-raleigh-n-c-passenger-train-station.aspx2018-02-28T15:47:35Z2018-02-28T15:47:35Z<p>We are taught early on in childhood not to brag, especially about ourselves, and particularly not about home towns, or native states. Reckless bragging is disgraceful. A sign of poor manners. But maybe you will indulge me in a bit of gentle bragging on my home state, North Carolina. I was back recently and imposed on the good folks in the capital city of Raleigh for a preview of the new passenger station under construction and set for completion this spring.</p>
<p><a href="http://cs.trains.com/cfs-file.ashx/__key/communityserver-blogs-components-weblogfiles/00-00-00-07-48/3005.DSC_5F00_0343.JPG"><img src="http://cs.trains.com/resized-image.ashx/__size/600x0/__key/communityserver-blogs-components-weblogfiles/00-00-00-07-48/3005.DSC_5F00_0343.JPG" border="0" alt="" /></a></p>
<p>If you haven&rsquo;t heard of this $88 million project, I am here to predict that you will. Outside of California High Speed Rail and Brightline, I would dare say this is one of the biggest and boldest passenger train projects in the U.S. It is a station befitting a state capital, one corner of the famed Research Triangle Park, the home to megabits of knowledge and knowhow in the new world economy. The site is downtown and set to spark yet more residential and retail development in this urban setting.</p>
<p><a href="http://cs.trains.com/cfs-file.ashx/__key/communityserver-blogs-components-weblogfiles/00-00-00-07-48/5557.DSC_5F00_0408.JPG"><img src="http://cs.trains.com/resized-image.ashx/__size/600x0/__key/communityserver-blogs-components-weblogfiles/00-00-00-07-48/5557.DSC_5F00_0408.JPG" border="0" alt="" /></a></p>
<p>The location us familiar to me. I went to college at nearby UNC-Chapel Hill and went train watching in the Boylan Tower area many times. It&rsquo;s inside the wye (reader poll, how many other active stations are inside a wye in 2018?), where the Norfolk Southern and CSX main lines split after running jointly for about 10 miles to Cary. Once upon a time, until about 1950, there was a station here. Once upon a time about 30 years ago, trains called at the Seaboard Air Line depot on the north side of town, but then CSX took up the S-line between Norlina, N.C., and Petersburg, Va., and all trains began calling at the Southern Railway depot on Cabarrus Avenue. The SR structure is an old building and rather cramped for a state capital passenger station. So now the city and state are building a new station across from the current station that will be one for the ages &ndash; about 50 years into the future, to be precise. In about 10 years, that future could include commuter trains from Garner on the east and West Durham on the other side. Further down the road that could include high speed trains on a reborn S-Line. It is almost too much for me to fathom. I hope to live long enough to see it all unfold. Sadly, the SR station will be demolished to make room for more track.</p>
<p><a href="http://cs.trains.com/cfs-file.ashx/__key/communityserver-blogs-components-weblogfiles/00-00-00-07-48/6014.DSC_5F00_0349.JPG"><img src="http://cs.trains.com/resized-image.ashx/__size/600x0/__key/communityserver-blogs-components-weblogfiles/00-00-00-07-48/6014.DSC_5F00_0349.JPG" border="0" alt="" /></a></p>
<p>The new station is incredible &ndash; it combines parts of the old Dillion Supply Co. building with new construction. A wall of the supply company creates one end of the three-story building. Overhead cranes decorate the ceiling. It has room for retail and for a restaurant. It has a platform that&rsquo;s 900-feet long, enough to get most if not all of the <i>Silver Star</i> on one platform. And it has a train watching platform at the point where both legs of the wye are formed. Planners wisely reused the skin of the old Dillion supply for artwork to decorate the concourse leading to the platforms. Every step and every turn speak of thoughtfulness and a lot of passengers.</p>
<p><a href="http://cs.trains.com/cfs-file.ashx/__key/communityserver-blogs-components-weblogfiles/00-00-00-07-48/7608.DSC_5F00_0356.JPG"><img src="http://cs.trains.com/resized-image.ashx/__size/600x0/__key/communityserver-blogs-components-weblogfiles/00-00-00-07-48/7608.DSC_5F00_0356.JPG" border="0" alt="" /></a></p>
<p>N.C. Department of Transportation has been working to make passenger train travel good once again since launching the Carolinian in 1984 (I was on board the inaugural as a reporter for Passenger Train Journal), its station rehabilitation work, intrastate Piedmont passenger trains, and most recently with its Piedmont Improvement Project to put doubletrack back on the Charlotte-Greensboro portion of the NS mainline, thus cutting the running time between the state&rsquo;s three biggest cities. In the southeast, only Virginia has taken on passenger train projects with a passion, seriousness, and pocketbook. South Carolina and Georgia are content with barebones passenger train service. Think about Raleigh&rsquo;s new station the next time you board the <i>Crescent</i> in Atlanta on that sliver of land on the edge of I-85 known as Peachtree Station.</p>
<p><a href="http://cs.trains.com/cfs-file.ashx/__key/communityserver-blogs-components-weblogfiles/00-00-00-07-48/4111.DSC_5F00_0394.JPG"><img src="http://cs.trains.com/resized-image.ashx/__size/600x0/__key/communityserver-blogs-components-weblogfiles/00-00-00-07-48/4111.DSC_5F00_0394.JPG" border="0" alt="" /></a>As we were wrapping up the tour of the Raleigh construction site, one of the Piedmont intrastate trains from Charlotte arrived at Cabarrus Avenue, made its station stop, and then went through the wye and back to its servicing yard until its next trip. In a matter of months, possibly early May, it will start stopping at the new station. And once that happens, I predict that more people will be talking about this station and North Carolina&rsquo;s long-term investment in its transportation future. Bragging on my home state? Perhaps so, but indulge me with one more thought: North Carolina&rsquo;s state motto is &ldquo;esse quam videri.&rdquo; That&rsquo;s Latin for &ldquo;to be, rather than to seem.&rdquo; Or, bring that up to date with a popular saying, &ldquo;It&rsquo;s not bragging if it&rsquo;s true.&rdquo;</p><div style="clear:both;"></div><img src="http://cs.trains.com/aggbug.aspx?PostID=2290566&AppID=748&AppType=Weblog&ContentType=0" width="1" height="1">Jim Wrinnhttp://cs.trains.com/members/Jim-Wrinn/default.aspxSo, how does PTC drive in the snow?http://cs.trains.com/trn/b/staff/archive/2018/02/16/so-how-does-ptc-drive-in-the-snow.aspx2018-02-16T17:25:00Z2018-02-16T17:25:00Z<p>&nbsp;[caption image="/cfs-file.ashx/__key/communityserver-blogs-components-weblogfiles/00-00-00-07-48/0410.Big-Red.png" position="right"]Here is the author's automobile. It's rusted, dinged, and decrepit ... but it goes in snow. Photo by Brian Schmidt[/caption]</p>
<p>Where I grew up in the snow belt regions Lake Erie shadows, and where eight feet of snow in a year is an average, not a record, when someone bought a car that's new to them, you ask how it drives in the snow.</p>
<p>Oh, you let them brag about their purchase first: The gas mileage, sunroof, third row or trunk space, how they got a "brand new" spare tire thrown in, or how much get-up-and-go it has, and how great it sounds with the aftermarket subwoofer the first owner installed. They might even tell you it's from the "South," denoting an automobile that lacks rust and has never seen corrosive salt-covered roads in winter time.</p>
<p>All the while you smile and nod waiting for your friend to pause so you can ask: "But how does it drive in the snow?"</p>
<p>And the answer to that question is the only answer you really need. Because when you're driving to work in snow drifts on brick streets, uphill and the wind is blowing, all that matters is whether the car "goes" or "will stop" when desired.</p>
<p>And that is my point about positive train control.</p>
<p>Class I railroad representatives say that the biggest railroads in the country will have PTC equipment fully installed by Dec. 31 this year. And yes, there's testing that needs to be done to make sure everything works right, but they say it will get done. PTC advocates say the compliant systems will be a boon for safety and efficiency. New mechanisms in the future could prevent grade crossing accidents, railroads could have rolling blocks and eliminate problems with fixed wayside equipment, and so on.</p>
<p>By law, any positive train control system in the U.S. &mdash; and there are at least four different branded systems that I am aware of &mdash; need do four things. A PTC system must <a href="http://trn.trains.com/railroads/abcs-of-railroading/2018/02/what-is-positive-train-control" target="_blank">"prevent train-to-train crashes, enforce speed limits, protect track workers, and keep trains from running through a misaligned switch." </a></p>
<p>Nothing more, nothing less.</p>
<p>In most cases, the PTC system that's installed on a right-of-way near you will work right on top of existing signals and control systems so as not to disturb what already works.</p>
<p>Why? Because railroads will have a hard enough time making sure PTC does what it's supposed to do, play nicely with other railroads' locomotives, and not have a succession of errors that force trains to stop frequently, gumming up the system.</p>
<p>By the way, even though all Class I railroads are set to have PTC completely installed by the end of this year, did you know how many will have it operational systemwide by then? Maybe BNSF Railway and maybe Union Pacific. But definitely? Zero.</p>
<p>The answer we've gotten at <em>Trains</em> is that PTC will work nationwide by 2020 so long as the Federal Railroad Administration grants extensions when and where needed.</p>
<p>Sadly, that won't get me to work on a snowy morning.</p><div style="clear:both;"></div><img src="http://cs.trains.com/aggbug.aspx?PostID=2290558&AppID=748&AppType=Weblog&ContentType=0" width="1" height="1">Steve Sweeneyhttp://cs.trains.com/members/Steve-Sweeney/default.aspxThe long road to Trains was even longer than I recalledhttp://cs.trains.com/trn/b/staff/archive/2018/02/15/the-long-road-to-a-job-at-trains-was-even-longer-than-i-recalled.aspx2018-02-15T17:20:00Z2018-02-15T17:20:00Z<p>[caption image="/cfs-file.ashx/__key/communityserver-blogs-components-weblogfiles/00-00-00-07-48/3730.Lassen_5F00_Letters_5F00_For_5F00_Blog.jpg" position="right"]We all leave a paper trail. This particular segment came as a surprise. (Photo by David Lassen)[/caption]So we&rsquo;re doing some reshuffling of office space here at Kalmbach, which means a lot of people are going through their desks and tossing out stuff that they don&rsquo;t need to cart down the hall. (Trains &lsquo; relocation is still in the future, so my office is just as cluttered as ever. The 37 bobbleheads on the window sill are safe for now)</p>
<p>One of the people who did make the move this week was former Trains editor J. David Ingles, senior editor at Classic Trains. During his cleaning process, he walked into my office, grinning, and handed me some papers: My cover letter, resume, and some clippings from when I applied for an associate editor job at Trains.</p>
<p>In 1987.</p>
<p>Funny thing: I don&rsquo;t even remember applying then. The cover letter (which, in retrospect, is way, way, <em>way</em> too long) indicates that Dave and I had talked about the job at Winterrail in Stockton, Calif., a few days earlier. It also indicates that I included some photos, and that the clips included &ldquo;two of the few rail-oriented articles I have written.&rdquo; (I was, at the time, a sportswriter at the Thousand Oaks, Calif, <em>News Chronicle</em>.) While a couple of sports article are still with the cover letter, the rail-related clips in question are not. It&rsquo;s been suggested that they may be somewhere in our legendary David P. Morgan Library, but since I don&rsquo;t recall the subject matter, I&rsquo;m unable to search for them. Perhaps I'll stumble across them one day.</p>
<p>Dave also had a copy of his initial response, which returned my photos and indicated the position would be filled within the next month.</p>
<p>The fact that I don&rsquo;t even recall applying for the job in 1987 suggests that I did so mostly out of curiosity. At the time, I was barely a year into the job in Thousand Oaks, and it proved to be a good spot for me &mdash; I lasted there, or at the successor Ventura County Star, for 25 years.</p>
<p>In retrospect, I think things worked out pretty well. As a few of you may recall from the blurb in Trains when I was hired, I had a decent run as a sportswriter. I covered five Olympics for the Star and the (now defunct) Scripps Howard News Service, and had at least a taste of most other major U.S. sporting events &mdash; including a World Series, a couple of Stanley Cup Finals, three NCAA Final Fours and a bunch of NBA finals, with a stint as a Dodgers beat writer. I look back fondly on all those things.</p>
<p>And when things started going south in the newspaper business, I sent off another resume to Trains. Given a second chance a mere 27 years later, they hired me.</p>
<p>I suppose there are a couple of morals: Just because someone says no once, it doesn&rsquo;t mean you shouldn&rsquo;t try again. And things do indeed tend to happen when the time is right.</p>
<p>Now, while I&rsquo;m pretty happy with how things turned out, you&rsquo;d have to ask Dave Ingles and the folks at Kalmbach if they feel the same way. Consider the ne&rsquo;er-do-well they hired instead of me.</p>
<p>It was a guy named Kevin P. Keefe.</p><div style="clear:both;"></div><img src="http://cs.trains.com/aggbug.aspx?PostID=2290556&AppID=748&AppType=Weblog&ContentType=0" width="1" height="1">David Lassenhttp://cs.trains.com/members/David-Lassen/default.aspxTrains photo charter at Cumbres & Toltec: We're going back to 1968. Care to join us? http://cs.trains.com/trn/b/staff/archive/2018/02/11/trains-photo-charter-at-cumbres-amp-toltec-we-39-re-going-back-to-1968-care-to-join-us.aspx2018-02-11T23:22:00Z2018-02-11T23:22:00Z<p><a href="http://cs.trains.com/cfs-file.ashx/__key/communityserver-blogs-components-weblogfiles/00-00-00-07-48/7028.DSC_5F00_0187.jpg"><img src="http://cs.trains.com/resized-image.ashx/__size/600x0/__key/communityserver-blogs-components-weblogfiles/00-00-00-07-48/7028.DSC_5F00_0187.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>We&rsquo;re throwing a steam-powered party this August, and you&rsquo;re invited. We&rsquo;re sponsoring a photo charter with the Cumbres &amp; Toltec Scenic Railroad, that 64-miles of serpentine narrow gauge tracks that seem to dart across the state line more than there are peaks in the spectacular San Juan Mountains that is home for this line (OK, that&rsquo;s an exaggeration, but it sure seems like it at times). We&rsquo;re there to commemorate the last runs of Rio Grande freights across 10,000-foot Cumbres Pass 50 years ago. Yes, as a child of the 1960s myself, it is hard to believe that 1968 is that far back, but it is. The end of regular service freight on the Rio Grande that year was not only an important milestone for the narrow gauge: It also was the last time a Class I railroad ran steam-powered freights that weren&rsquo;t part of an excursion or public relations program. This was the real deal, and this was the final curtain.</p>
<p><a href="http://cs.trains.com/cfs-file.ashx/__key/communityserver-blogs-components-weblogfiles/00-00-00-07-48/5543.DSC_5F00_0160_2D002800_2_2900_.jpg"><img src="http://cs.trains.com/resized-image.ashx/__size/600x0/__key/communityserver-blogs-components-weblogfiles/00-00-00-07-48/5543.DSC_5F00_0160_2D002800_2_2900_.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>So, for two days, Aug 25 and 26, a pair of K-36 Mikados will be powering a freight that looks and feels as close to the one that took place in late August 1968. I won&rsquo;t call it a replica because that&rsquo;s not possible: Neither all of the freight cars nor all of the locomotives that made history in 1968 are still with us or in operation. But we will get close. Mikado No. 484, there for the last westbound train, will be part of the motive power. No. 483, which was on the point, is inoperable, but we&rsquo;ll renumber another K-36 to represent it just for this event.</p>
<p><a href="http://cs.trains.com/cfs-file.ashx/__key/communityserver-blogs-components-weblogfiles/00-00-00-07-48/0841.DSC_5F00_0003.jpg"><img src="http://cs.trains.com/resized-image.ashx/__size/600x0/__key/communityserver-blogs-components-weblogfiles/00-00-00-07-48/0841.DSC_5F00_0003.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>Never been on a photo charter and wonder what it&rsquo;s all about? The best way to describe it is as a step into a time machine and setting the destination for the 1920s: You&rsquo;ll be on board a real freight train, watching it from a vantage point on board that would be much like that of a brakeman. You&rsquo;ll stop often at great photo locations, get off the train and assemble so that nobody is in the way, and let the train back past so that it can pull forward just for your enjoyment and photography. In the last 20 years, I&rsquo;ve been on three such outings at the Cumbres &amp; Toltec (the photos are from a July 2008 outing with Rio Grande 2-8-0 No. 315, now temporarily in residence at the CT&amp;TS), and each gave me a new appreciation for railroading as it was almost 100 years ago, thousands of great steam action photos, and memories of good times and great railroading with friends, old and new.</p>
<p>So, if you&rsquo;re ready to board the time machine, we&rsquo;ve got it steamed up and ready to go. Check out the details below, and join us! &nbsp;&nbsp;</p>
<p><a href="http://trn.trains.com/magazine/trips/2018/01/cumbres-pass-photo-charter">http://trn.trains.com/magazine/trips/2018/01/cumbres-pass-photo-charter</a></p>
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<p>&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><div style="clear:both;"></div><img src="http://cs.trains.com/aggbug.aspx?PostID=2290550&AppID=748&AppType=Weblog&ContentType=0" width="1" height="1">Jim Wrinnhttp://cs.trains.com/members/Jim-Wrinn/default.aspxLate winter when a man starts thinking about steam locomotiveshttp://cs.trains.com/trn/b/staff/archive/2018/02/07/late-winter-when-a-man-starts-thinking-about-steam-locomotives.aspx2018-02-07T21:58:00Z2018-02-07T21:58:00Z<p>I usually start thinking about planning travel to enjoy what little steam is left running about this time of year. I blame it on Southern Railway and Jim Bistline, who set the railroad&rsquo;s steam excursion schedule every winter. It was the most anticipated piece of mail that I can recall as a teenager or a young adult in the late 1970s and early 1980s: You could see what locomotives Southern was running, where, and when, and plan a whole year&rsquo;s worth of steam railroading fun. There were also a lot of really cool locomotives that were running on short lines and tourist railroads that I am glad I got to ride and photograph while they were still active. I was photo researching in my slide boxes when I found three favorite images of locomotives that are no longer running. I share them with the reminder that travel is a real gift, memories are out there for the taking if you&rsquo;ll just show up, and nothing lasts forever &mdash; especially not operating steam. Enjoy, and soon here I&rsquo;ll share my hopes and dreams for the steam highlights of 2018 as I see them.</p>
<p><a href="http://cs.trains.com/cfs-file.ashx/__key/communityserver-blogs-components-weblogfiles/00-00-00-07-48/4428.JW_5F00_blog_5F00_0218_5F00_5.jpg"><img src="http://cs.trains.com/resized-image.ashx/__size/600x0/__key/communityserver-blogs-components-weblogfiles/00-00-00-07-48/4428.JW_5F00_blog_5F00_0218_5F00_5.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>1. Hartwell Railroad 2-6-2- No. 11. I knew of this Prairie as a child as it became famous along with sister 2-6-2 No. 108 and 2-8-0 No. 1702 on Arkansas&rsquo; Reader Railroad, that 1960s mixed train bastion. Trains covered the Reader often, and Editor David P. Morgan was even on hand for the christening of No. 1702 (now at Great Smoky Mountains Railway in North Carolina). When No. 11 showed up on Georgia&rsquo;s Hartwell Railroad in the early 1980s, I had to see it. On this late November 1983 day, owner Frank Pollock has the engine running at a gallop with one coach near Airline, Ga. He&rsquo;d painted the engine in a Southern Railway-inspired green and gold. Sadly, Pollock lost his life in a traffic accident, and No. 11 went wandering to Kentucky, where it ran yet again. Today, it&rsquo;s on display in Nocholasville.</p>
<p><a href="http://cs.trains.com/cfs-file.ashx/__key/communityserver-blogs-components-weblogfiles/00-00-00-07-48/3302.JW_5F00_blog_5F00_0218_5F00_2.jpg"><img src="http://cs.trains.com/resized-image.ashx/__size/600x0/__key/communityserver-blogs-components-weblogfiles/00-00-00-07-48/3302.JW_5F00_blog_5F00_0218_5F00_2.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>2. Pennsylvania Railroad 4-4-0 No. 1223. The engine used in the movie, &ldquo;Hello, Dolly!&rdquo; A real, operating 4-4-0! A real, operating PRR engine. When I caught up to the engine on Pennsylvania&rsquo;s iconic tourist railroad, the Strasburg Rail Road, I had no idea that No. 1223&rsquo;s days were numbered. When it needed heavy work to keep it operating, the adjacent Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania declined the railroad&rsquo;s offer, citing the desire to keep the engine original. It was good while it lasted, and at least No. 1223 is safe inside at the museum. But boy, was she ever a sight to behold in steam, especially on this day, Oct. 2, 1989 at the Groff&rsquo;s Grove picnic area.</p>
<p><a href="http://cs.trains.com/cfs-file.ashx/__key/communityserver-blogs-components-weblogfiles/00-00-00-07-48/7608.JW_5F00_blog_5F00_scan_5F00_03.jpg"><img src="http://cs.trains.com/resized-image.ashx/__size/600x0/__key/communityserver-blogs-components-weblogfiles/00-00-00-07-48/7608.JW_5F00_blog_5F00_scan_5F00_03.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>3. Texas &amp; Pacific 2-10-4 No. 610. One of the original Lima Superpower locomotives of the late 1920s, No. 610 proved to be an exciting addition to Southern&rsquo;s excursion stable between 1977 and 1981. I rode the engine on Atlanta-Toccoa, Ga., and Chattanooga-Harriman, Tenn., excursions in 1978 and 1979, respectively, and spent high quality hours in the open Dutch door, where I could soak up the sights, sounds, and smells of the big Texas-type eating up mile after mile at 50 mph. Today, she&rsquo;s kept under cover at the Texas State Railroad near Rusk, and pulled out into the sunlight from time to time. I am glad to have ridden behind her and photographed her in action, such as this July 1978 day near Black Mountain, N.C., on the way to the Eastern Continental Divide at Ridgecrest.</p>
<p>&nbsp;Learn more about massive historic locomotives that are still in operation with Big Steam is Back, our 100-page special issue, and its companion DVD, both available at <a href="https://www.kalmbachhobbystore.com/product/special-issue/vt-tr2170601">https://www.kalmbachhobbystore.com/product/special-issue/vt-tr2170601</a></p>
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<p>&nbsp;</p><div style="clear:both;"></div><img src="http://cs.trains.com/aggbug.aspx?PostID=2290548&AppID=748&AppType=Weblog&ContentType=0" width="1" height="1">Jim Wrinnhttp://cs.trains.com/members/Jim-Wrinn/default.aspxWhat other unthinkable things await us?http://cs.trains.com/trn/b/staff/archive/2018/02/06/what-other-unthinkable-things-await-us.aspx2018-02-06T22:18:39Z2018-02-06T22:18:39Z<p>Ask the editors at Trains.</p>
<p>When I read the statement from Amtrak at 12:49 p.m. (Central) in my email inbox, I swore &mdash; a lot.</p>
<p>One trainset of the one and only high-speed rail service in the Western Hemisphere pulled apart on the Northeast Corridor.&nbsp;</p>
<p>The New York Post reports that <em>Acela Express</em> train 2150 was moving at 125 mph when it separated in Maryland. The news organization shows a photo of what appears to be a loose drawbar on the semi-permanently coupled trainset hanging between cars as though it had nowhere in particular to go. Thank God, no one was hurt.</p>
<p>But this happened.&nbsp;</p>
<p>In the United States of America.</p>
<p>So far, most media organizations haven't grasped the gravity of this. The closest I can come up with is if the <em>Acela</em> were an airplane, this would be the wing coming off in mid-air. Or if it were a automobile, the auto's frame split in two with the back section falling out and the front still moving forward.</p>
<p>Regardless of the analogy, each incident is an example of a catastrophic failure of things coming apart that shouldn't unless you have an acetylene torch and some time. And this incident comes just days after the <em>Silver Star</em> crash near Columbia, S.C.</p>
<p>I'm tempted to prognosticate on the future of Amtrak and safety, or call on fellow rail enthusiasts to band together for a higher purpose to pass a law, draw attention to the issue, or something. Only, I don't know what we should call for. We need more safety, more money for infrastructure, a leader at the Federal Railroad Administration, and new and more Amtrak equipment, to start. That is before we can get to high-speed passenger corridors around the country, a durable positive train control network, and more cities with a rail alternative to commuting on highways. I thought we might be making a little headway as a country with more Charger locomotives, light rail projects here and there, and a handful of infrastructure grants sprinkled generously for good effect in urban areas.</p>
<p>But an Acela pulled apart on the Northeast Corridor today. Before today, it was unthinkable.</p>
<p>I shudder to think what other unthinkable things await us.</p><div style="clear:both;"></div><img src="http://cs.trains.com/aggbug.aspx?PostID=2290547&AppID=748&AppType=Weblog&ContentType=0" width="1" height="1">Steve Sweeneyhttp://cs.trains.com/members/Steve-Sweeney/default.aspxIt's the end of Amtrak as we know ithttp://cs.trains.com/trn/b/staff/archive/2018/02/04/it-39-s-the-end-of-amtrak-as-we-know-it.aspx2018-02-04T14:04:00Z2018-02-04T14:04:00Z<p>[caption image="/cfs-file.ashx/__key/communityserver-blogs-components-weblogfiles/00-00-00-07-48/2727.Crozet-NTSB.jpg" position="right"]The NTSB investigates the fatal Jan. 31 grade crossing collision in Crozet, Va. By photo by National Transportation Safety Board[/caption]As we learn more this Sunday morning about the <a href="http://www.foxnews.com/us/2018/02/04/amtrak-csx-trains-collide-in-south-carolina-injuries-reported.html">overnight collision between Amtrak's <em>Silver Star</em> and a CSX Transportation freight</a>, I can't help but think that the national passenger carrier is on the cusp of a major change &ndash; for better, or worse.</p>
<p>With three high-profile incidents in less than 60 days, Amtrak is undoubtedly under scrutiny from regulators, legislators, and host railroads. It's possible (but not likely) that none of those will be found to be Amtrak's fault; it's also possible (but again not likely) that they will all be found to be Amtrak's fault. We just don't know yet.</p>
<p>What those answers are will change the course of passenger rail in the U.S. Amtrak could march on with positive train control, new equipment, and expanded frequencies on non-corridor routes. Or it could be defunded and gone as a national entity in the next budget cycle.</p>
<p>Amtrak is consistently moving record numbers of passengers on a network that's smaller than at its inception with equipment that is often older than that it used at start-up. People want trains. The unknown here is at what cost.</p><div style="clear:both;"></div><img src="http://cs.trains.com/aggbug.aspx?PostID=2290543&AppID=748&AppType=Weblog&ContentType=0" width="1" height="1">Brian Schmidthttp://cs.trains.com/members/Brian-Schmidt/default.aspxMy first railroad photos turn 40 years old http://cs.trains.com/trn/b/staff/archive/2018/01/31/my-first-railroad-photos-turn-40-years-old.aspx2018-01-31T19:45:00Z2018-01-31T19:45:00Z<p><a href="http://cs.trains.com/cfs-file.ashx/__key/communityserver-blogs-components-weblogfiles/00-00-00-07-48/8863.blog_5F00_jan29_5F00_scan_5F00_01ps.jpg"><img src="http://cs.trains.com/resized-image.ashx/__size/600x0/__key/communityserver-blogs-components-weblogfiles/00-00-00-07-48/8863.blog_5F00_jan29_5F00_scan_5F00_01ps.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>They were neither well executed nor worth much as great art. Some were poorly composed, and others were over or under exposed. But they were amazing sights to me -- my first action railroad pictures with a good 35mm camera. And they were made 40 years ago this month.</p>
<p>The occasion was the first good weather in the winter of 1978 when, as a 16-year-old fan, I was ready to try out the Nikkormat FT-3 that my parents had given me the Christmas before. They&rsquo;d heard my disappointment in my Kodak Pocket 110 camera&rsquo;s images and seen the kind but firm rejection notices from Trains Editor David P. Morgan. Mom, God bless her, stopped enough fans at the Cass Scenic Railroad&rsquo;s railfan weekend the spring before, to find out what kind of camera was needed for her boy to produce publishable images. After Christmas, dad took over with lessons about making photos: About shutter speeds, f-stops, composition. 10 years of reading Trains magazine didn&rsquo;t hurt either when it came to knowing what a train picture should look like.</p>
<p>So, when there was a decent Saturday that February, we left our home in Franklin, N.C., to visit relatives an hour away in dad&rsquo;s hometown of Westminster, S.C., and photograph what we could on the Southern Railway main line between Washington, D.C., and Atlanta, Ga. The camera was loaded with Plus-X ASA 125 speed film. I was ready to go.</p>
<p>The day turned out to be a good one with a parade of through freights with big six-axle units up front, a work train that had been cleaning up a derailment, and lots of bay window cabooses. <a href="http://cs.trains.com/cfs-file.ashx/__key/communityserver-blogs-components-weblogfiles/00-00-00-07-48/0285.blog_5F00_jan29_5F00_scan_5F00_04ps.jpg"><img src="http://cs.trains.com/resized-image.ashx/__size/600x0/__key/communityserver-blogs-components-weblogfiles/00-00-00-07-48/0285.blog_5F00_jan29_5F00_scan_5F00_04ps.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Unbeknownst to me at the time, Southern&rsquo;s main line south of Greenville, S.C., was mostly a nighttime railroad, so we missed much of the show. But what I saw and photographed that day pleased me, and it was the beginning of a lifetime of enjoyment and a fulfilling career. From time to time, as my travels have allowed me, I&rsquo;ve been back to Westminster and snapped a photo of a train. I need to do that again as it&rsquo;s been a while, and neither I nor my cousins are getting any younger.</p>
<p><a href="http://cs.trains.com/cfs-file.ashx/__key/communityserver-blogs-components-weblogfiles/00-00-00-07-48/8640.blog_5F00_jan29_5F00_scan_5F00_06ps.jpg"><img src="http://cs.trains.com/resized-image.ashx/__size/600x0/__key/communityserver-blogs-components-weblogfiles/00-00-00-07-48/8640.blog_5F00_jan29_5F00_scan_5F00_06ps.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a></p>
<p>In the 40 years since, I&rsquo;ve made thousands of images trackside and on board trains. But I&rsquo;ll always think back to those 20 first black and white negatives, and the day when a new passion was born in the place where my father had grown up. Dad was right. Your life is like the wink of an eye. All of this seems like only yesterday in some respects and another time and place in others.</p><div style="clear:both;"></div><img src="http://cs.trains.com/aggbug.aspx?PostID=2290539&AppID=748&AppType=Weblog&ContentType=0" width="1" height="1">Jim Wrinnhttp://cs.trains.com/members/Jim-Wrinn/default.aspxMy top 10 best train watching Hot Spots http://cs.trains.com/trn/b/staff/archive/2018/01/26/my-top-10-best-train-watching-hot-spots.aspx2018-01-26T16:42:00Z2018-01-26T16:42:00Z<p>Our special issue, Hot Spots, is available now, and it has me excited about traveling to great train watching places this year. We broke down our 100-page guide into three categories: Places to watch a lot of trains. Places that are scenic wonders. And places that are icons in our common obsession. Like everyone else, I have my favorites. Here&rsquo;s my top 10, and be sure to get your own copy of Hot Spots at <a href="https://kalmbachhobbystore.com/product/special-issue/vt-tr05180101-c">https://kalmbachhobbystore.com/product/special-issue/vt-tr05180101-c</a>.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>1. The Loops near Old Fort, N.C. A sentimental favorite from near where I grew up. It is 13 twisting rail miles crammed into 3 air miles. There are 1,001 places on this railroad that are utterly fascinating to see how a railroad climbs a mountain via cuts, fills, bridges, and tunnels. Model railroaders would copy the route but people would claim it was unrealistic.</p>
<p>2. Sherman Hill. The stuff of Big Boys, gas turbines, and DD40X legends, three mainline tracks west of Cheyenne, Wyo., bespeak of the fight for traction and large volumes of trains. <a href="http://cs.trains.com/cfs-file.ashx/__key/communityserver-blogs-components-weblogfiles/00-00-00-07-48/8053.TR05_2D00_E0118_5F00_111.jpg"><img src="http://cs.trains.com/resized-image.ashx/__size/600x0/__key/communityserver-blogs-components-weblogfiles/00-00-00-07-48/8053.TR05_2D00_E0118_5F00_111.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>I made my first trip there in 1987, and I never tire of the place. I love Otto Road!</p>
<p>3. Rochelle, Ill. OK, the viewing platform at the diamond may not yield the most original photos, but sometimes the photos are secondary. It&rsquo;s fun just to sit, watch, socialize, and let the trains do all of the work. That and two mainline railroads that are crazy busy.</p>
<p>4. Omaha &ndash; Council Buffs. Thanks to my wife&rsquo;s family being from here, I get to this location a lot. It&rsquo;s got variety &mdash; Amtrak, BNSF Railway, Union Pacific, Canadian National, Iowa Interstate. It&rsquo;s got bridges, junctions, directional running. In short, a lot in a little space with plenty of action.</p>
<p>5. Roanoke, Va. Any compass direction you go yields great mountain railroading. But I am most fond of heading west of town on legendary Christiansburg grade. Here the original Norfolk &amp; Western plays tag with the former Virginian, and then clings to the hillside for elevation. It&rsquo;s as curving and twisting as it gets.</p>
<p>6. Byron Hill &ndash; Duplainville. In our backyard here in Wisconsin. Canadian National has created a mainline jumping with traffic that&rsquo;s scenic. Add in the diamond with Canadian Pacific and the hill southbound out of Fon du Lac, the marsh at Theresa, and the sweeping curve at Slinger, and you&rsquo;ve got yourself one amazing, action-packed main line. Check out our video for sale at <a href="https://kalmbachhobbystore.com/product/dvd/15144">https://kalmbachhobbystore.com/product/dvd/15144</a></p>
<p>7. Joint Line, Colorado. Who doesn&rsquo;t like directional running on the edge of the Rockies? It&rsquo;s not as busy as it once was, but it&rsquo;s still a tonnage pipeline south of Denver for UP and BNSF. The area just north of Palmer Lake is among the last places along the Front Range that is blissfully undeveloped. Incidentally, we updated our On Location video of 25 years ago with new content as our Hot Spots brand so you can see it as well as read about it. Buy it here <a href="https://kalmbachhobbystore.com/product/dvd/15137">https://kalmbachhobbystore.com/product/dvd/15137</a></p>
<p>8. Rathole, Kentucky. A tonnage and scenery fan&rsquo;s dream come true. Most of the tunnels went away 50 years ago, but the deep cuts and tall bridges are still a draw. Norfolk Southern between Cincinnati and Chattanooga never disappoints.<a href="http://cs.trains.com/cfs-file.ashx/__key/communityserver-blogs-components-weblogfiles/00-00-00-07-48/8715.DSC_5F00_2891.JPG"><img src="http://cs.trains.com/resized-image.ashx/__size/600x0/__key/communityserver-blogs-components-weblogfiles/00-00-00-07-48/8715.DSC_5F00_2891.JPG" border="0" alt="" /></a></p>
<p>9. Echo Canyon. Sandwiched in between scenic Weber Canyon and impressive Wasatch grade, Echo Canyon is a literal gorgeous delight on the Union Pacific main line. I&rsquo;m especially fond of the I-80 rest stop overlook that really brings out the colors of the red rocks in the morning sun and puts the trains in perspective.</p>
<p>10. Horseshoe Curve, Pa. Pennsy history. Dramatic mountain crossing. Heavy tonnage. Norfolk Southern puts its heart and soul into this fantastic spot that should be on every train watcher&rsquo;s list of places they must see. We&rsquo;ve also got a Hot Spots video on this one, too! Get it here <a href="https://kalmbachhobbystore.com/product/dvd/15140">https://kalmbachhobbystore.com/product/dvd/15140</a></p><div style="clear:both;"></div><img src="http://cs.trains.com/aggbug.aspx?PostID=2290534&AppID=748&AppType=Weblog&ContentType=0" width="1" height="1">Jim Wrinnhttp://cs.trains.com/members/Jim-Wrinn/default.aspxAbout the most famous passenger car in the U.S.: Ferdinand Magellanhttp://cs.trains.com/trn/b/staff/archive/2018/01/20/about-the-most-famous-passenger-car-in-the-u-s-ferdinand-magellan.aspx2018-01-21T00:45:00Z2018-01-21T00:45:00Z<p><a href="http://cs.trains.com/cfs-file.ashx/__key/communityserver-blogs-components-weblogfiles/00-00-00-07-48/6607.Ferd2.jpg"><img src="http://cs.trains.com/resized-image.ashx/__size/600x0/__key/communityserver-blogs-components-weblogfiles/00-00-00-07-48/6607.Ferd2.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>What would you say is the most famous passenger car in the United States? The well-traveled PV <em>Caritas</em>? Lucius Beebe&rsquo;s office car <i>Virginia City</i>. Amtrak office car <em>10,000</em>?</p>
<p>It&rsquo;s a debatable list, and one that would have to include in its top 10 an office car that I have heard about all my life and visited for the first time recently while on business in Florida: Franklin Delano Roosevelt&rsquo;s office car <i>Ferdinand Magellan</i>. This classic heavyweight Pullman makes its home at the Gold Coast Railroad Museum in Miami. This car may top the list of all cars, having also carried Presidents Truman and Eisenhower. In the days before Air Force 1 this was how the president traveled the country.</p>
<p>The car is typical in that it features a kitchen, staterooms, and a dining room. It was one of six in the explorers&rsquo; series. But it is unusual because of its security and safety features that were put in place to carry the president. These additions include armor plating, extra thick windows, an escape door on the side, a 1,500-pound back platform door that would rival any bank vault door, and a submarine hatch in the observation room ceiling that would be used only to extract the occupants if the car were ever turned over and on its side. Bob Withers excellent book, &ldquo;The President Travels by Train,&rdquo; says the car was among the heaviest passenger cars ever once it was armored. It weighs 142 tons, vs. 80 tons for a typical car like it.</p>
<p>Withers also points out that Roosevelt traveled by train more than any other president, 243,827 miles, much of it on the <em>Magellan</em>, on 399 trips. He also points out that the Association of American Railroads purchased the car from Pullman. Can you imagine the howls that would result today of Boeing offered to build a new Air Force 1 for the president and the price tag was gratis?</p>
<p>To me, the interior is what I would expect it to be. It&rsquo;s the back platform that is the story on this car. It&rsquo;s the platform, where FDR, Truman, Eisenhower, and in 1984 on a campaign trip, Ronald Reagan, spoke on whistle-stop tours in the finest tradition of American politics. That was in an age when the country&rsquo;s CEO went to the people to speak and when tweeting was still something birds did. Today, the microphones are still there as are the loudspeakers on top of the car. It is a car that looks like it is ready for a president to step out onto the back platform, acknowledge the crowd, and give a rousing speech. &ldquo;Give &lsquo;em hell, right?&rdquo; Yes, I can see it. This is where Truman held up that copy of the Chicago Tribune that proclaimed &ldquo;Dewey defeats Truman.&rdquo; It is sacred ground in American 20<sup>th</sup> century history.</p>
<p>The back platform is closed when visitors tour the Gold Coast Railroad Museum. That is too bad. Wouldn't it be great if it were open so that every citizen who visits could stand on the platform in front of the mics and feel the urge to launch into a speech with these words, &ldquo;My fellow Americans&hellip;&rdquo;? <a href="http://cs.trains.com/cfs-file.ashx/__key/communityserver-blogs-components-weblogfiles/00-00-00-07-48/7571.Ferd1.jpg"><img src="http://cs.trains.com/resized-image.ashx/__size/600x0/__key/communityserver-blogs-components-weblogfiles/00-00-00-07-48/7571.Ferd1.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>The Grand Ole Opry in Nashville lets visitors stand on the stage at the Ryman Auditorium and hold a guitar. I&rsquo;d love to see the back platform of the <em>Magellan</em> opened up. It would surely be an inspirational moment for anyone who would choose to stand there. &nbsp;</p>
<p>So, next time you are way south, visit this National Historic Landmark, an amazing part of American history. You&rsquo;ll feel the same urge I did to stand on that back platform. It&rsquo;s only natural.&nbsp;</p><div style="clear:both;"></div><img src="http://cs.trains.com/aggbug.aspx?PostID=2290531&AppID=748&AppType=Weblog&ContentType=0" width="1" height="1">Jim Wrinnhttp://cs.trains.com/members/Jim-Wrinn/default.aspxClinchfield 800's winter vacation to Floridahttp://cs.trains.com/trn/b/staff/archive/2018/01/14/clinchfield-800-39-s-winter-vacation-to-florida.aspx2018-01-15T02:22:00Z2018-01-15T02:22:00Z<p>The Appalachian Mountains, where the Clinchfield Railroad operated, was a place of heavily forested mountains, dense hardwood forests, and rushing whitewater streams. The environment last week in which I found the railroad&rsquo;s most famous diesel locomotive, F7 No. 800, was much different. It was a relatively flat expanse of land with numerous lakes. The exhaust tossled palm tree leaves and tickled the Spanish moss. <a href="http://cs.trains.com/cfs-file.ashx/__key/communityserver-blogs-components-weblogfiles/00-00-00-07-48/0358.DSC_5F00_8564.JPG"><img src="http://cs.trains.com/resized-image.ashx/__size/600x0/__key/communityserver-blogs-components-weblogfiles/00-00-00-07-48/0358.DSC_5F00_8564.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>Yes, this is a fish out of water story, the tale of a locomotive on winter break down south in Florida.</p>
<p>Last fall, CSX restored this classic cab unit to its original appearance to pull its 75<sup>th</sup> anniversary Santa Claus train on the former Clinchfield. The sight of the gray and yellow EMD was a magnificent addition to the train. It was so good, we marked this achievement by putting No. 800 on the cover of our February 2018 issue (on sale now) and celebrating with 10 pages that explore our love for these timeless cab units. Following the Santa Train in November, privately-owned No. 800 immediately got another gig, pulling tourist trains for the new Orlando &amp; Northwestern and its Royal Palm Rail Experience. Trains run on former Seaboard Air Line and Atlantic Coast Line tracks that belong to Pinsley shortline group&rsquo;s Florida Central Railroad. The area is just north of Orlando.<a href="http://cs.trains.com/cfs-file.ashx/__key/communityserver-blogs-components-weblogfiles/00-00-00-07-48/6180.DSC_5F00_8851.JPG"><img src="http://cs.trains.com/resized-image.ashx/__size/600x0/__key/communityserver-blogs-components-weblogfiles/00-00-00-07-48/6180.DSC_5F00_8851.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a> And General Manager Stephen Syfrett tells me the unit should be around well into the spring.</p>
<p>So if you want to ride behind this famous locomotive in a most unusual place, here&rsquo;s your chance to photograph a real Clinchfield icon -- under palm trees.</p><div style="clear:both;"></div><img src="http://cs.trains.com/aggbug.aspx?PostID=2290520&AppID=748&AppType=Weblog&ContentType=0" width="1" height="1">Jim Wrinnhttp://cs.trains.com/members/Jim-Wrinn/default.aspxBrightline, Florida East Coast steam -- 100 years of Sunshine State railroadinghttp://cs.trains.com/trn/b/staff/archive/2018/01/14/brightline-florida-east-coast-steam-100-years-of-sunshine-state-railroading.aspx2018-01-15T01:59:45Z2018-01-15T01:59:45Z<p>I was in Florida last week. No, I was not on vacation, neither at a beach nor Mouse World. In fact, it was rainy the first half of the trip, and down right cold (for Florida) on the second half (38 degrees Sunday morning. The primary railroad topic, as it has been in the Sunshine State for generations, was passenger trains. The newest of these trains, Brightline, was days from the start of revenue service. The oldest have been in museums for decades and date back to the early 20<sup>th</sup> century. Both are worthy of attention.</p>
<p>On Thursday, I stepped on board the nation&rsquo;s newest, most cutting edge, passenger train, Brightline, poised to start regular service between West Palm Beach, Fla., and Fort Lauderdale, Fla., on Saturday.<a href="http://cs.trains.com/cfs-file.ashx/__key/communityserver-blogs-components-weblogfiles/00-00-00-07-48/1374.DSC_5F00_7567.JPG"><img src="http://cs.trains.com/resized-image.ashx/__size/600x0/__key/communityserver-blogs-components-weblogfiles/00-00-00-07-48/1374.DSC_5F00_7567.JPG" border="0" alt="" /></a> The new Siemens-built trainsets are sleek, modern, and seem to include almost every conceivable amenity a passenger could want (food service, power outlets at the seats, bike racks, conferencing areas) and twin 4,400-hp Charger diesels flank five four-car trainsets that are color coded for the benefit of passengers and crew alike. Our shop tour was incredible. Again, it seems like Brightline thought of everything from the fuel pad, the mobile sand truck, and the portable wheel lathe. Other commitments took me away from the inaugural run, but I look forward to a return visit when I can try out the train that promises a most uncommon passenger train experience on U.S. soil.</p>
<p>The day before, I made my first visit to the Gold Coast Railroad Museum, where Florida East Coast 4-6-2s Nos. 113 and 153 and heavy-weight coaches of Florida East Coast and Seaboard Air Line ancestry are among stars of the collection.<a href="http://cs.trains.com/cfs-file.ashx/__key/communityserver-blogs-components-weblogfiles/00-00-00-07-48/0131.DSC_5F00_7860.JPG"><img src="http://cs.trains.com/resized-image.ashx/__size/600x0/__key/communityserver-blogs-components-weblogfiles/00-00-00-07-48/0131.DSC_5F00_7860.JPG" border="0" alt="" /></a> These were the passenger trains of Henry Flagler, the trains of the Key West Extension, the trains that brought in rescue and supplies to hurricane victims. The locomotives were once the oil-burning pride of the FEC, and their antiquity is in stark contrast the modern polished look of Brightline&rsquo;s diesel locomotives. Heck, Brightline&rsquo;s units are so sleek and colorful they could be toothpaste tubes.</p>
<div>
<p>American railroading has changed drastically in the 100 years between FEC Pacifics and Brightline Chargers. Isn&rsquo;t it exciting that in the state where the Atlantic Coast Line (and its partner FEC) once dueled rival Seaboard Air Line for customers that Brightline is back in this business once again? <a href="http://cs.trains.com/cfs-file.ashx/__key/communityserver-blogs-components-weblogfiles/00-00-00-07-48/8611.DSC_5F00_7964.JPG"><img src="http://cs.trains.com/resized-image.ashx/__size/600x0/__key/communityserver-blogs-components-weblogfiles/00-00-00-07-48/8611.DSC_5F00_7964.JPG" border="0" alt="" /></a>This time the rival is stifling traffic on Interstate 95, but the aim is the same: Move people from one place to another. Once again, Florida is a battlefield for the hearts and minds of potential railroad passengers. Let the games begin &hellip; under the sun.</p>
</div>
<p>Learn more about the fight for Florida railroad passengers with our video, Selling Sunshine: The Florida Trains, available at https://kalmbachhobbystore.com/product/dvd/15135</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p><div style="clear:both;"></div><img src="http://cs.trains.com/aggbug.aspx?PostID=2290519&AppID=748&AppType=Weblog&ContentType=0" width="1" height="1">Jim Wrinnhttp://cs.trains.com/members/Jim-Wrinn/default.aspx